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April 20, 2016

Forest Park Trolley Back in Service on April 22

Bi-state area residents, families and tourists can once again explore Forest Park onboard the Metro Forest Park Trolley as it officially returns for its sixth season of service on Friday, April 22. The Forest Park Trolley is a great way for Forest Park visitors to conveniently navigate through the Park and its many attractions, while helping reduce traffic congestion in the park.

The Metro Forest Park Trolley (MetroBus route #3) will operate daily between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. from April 22 through September 11, 2016, and will connect all of the popular Forest Park attractions with the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station. The Trolley will operate every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes during the weekend.

Forest Park Trolley tickets are $2 for adults, $1 for children (ages 5-12), seniors and disabled passengers, and the Trolley is free for children ages 4 and under. A valid Metro Reduced Fare permit is required for the Senior and Disabled discount. Two convenient Park & Ride options are available for visitors inside Forest Park: the Twin Parking Lots across from the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center and the Festival & Parking Plaza at the Upper Muny. Visitors can park their vehicles at these lots and then hop aboard the Forest Park Trolley for a quick and easy trip to their destinations inside Forest Park.

One-Day Trolley tickets can be purchased onboard the Trolley (exact change is required), at Perk Café inside the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center, and at the Planetarium Ticket Station at the Saint Louis Science Center. Each Trolley ticket allows unlimited rides on the Forest Park Trolley for the day the fare is purchased.

Valid Metro passes are acceptable fares for the Forest Park Trolley. Visitors who are combining MetroLink or MetroBus with the Forest Park Trolley should consider purchasing the Metro Adventure Pass. Available at Metro Ticket Vending Machines located at all MetroLink stations, the Metro Adventure Pass provides unlimited rides on MetroLink, MetroBus, the Forest Park Trolley and Downtown Trolley for one day, and lets visitors easily explore Forest Park and other attractions throughout the region.

Forest Park Trolley tickets and the Metro Adventure Pass can also be purchased at the MetroStore, located at 7th and Washington in downtown St. Louis. The MetroStore is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The #3 Forest Park Trolley is fully accessible to persons with disabilities.

Information on Obtaining Reduced Fare Permits

Seniors (age 65 and older) and the disabled can ride MetroBus, MetroLink and the Forest Park Trolley at a reduced rate. Qualifying individuals must complete the following:

Seniors must apply in person at the MetroStore and show a government-issued picture identification card verifying age (age 65 and older). For more information, please call the MetroStore at 314-982-1495.

Individuals with disabilities can apply for reduced fare permits by contacting Metro ADA Services at 314-982-1510.

Additional Traffic Support for Forest Park

The Metro Forest Park Trolley is an important resource toward alleviating traffic in Forest Park this summer, and on especially busy days, a Traffic Relief Route will also be implemented. When traffic is particularly heavy at Forest Park’s popular Hampton entrance, Park Rangers will put this Relief Route into motion. This effort is done in coordination with MoDOT as a means to reduce backups and closures on Interstate 64 at Hampton Ave. To prevent traffic backups and highway closures, the Traffic Relief Route will direct drivers from Hampton on a circular path through the Park past many available parking lots at the Festival & Parking Plaza at the Upper Muny, the Visitor Center and ultimately along Government Drive and the Saint Louis Zoo. After parking, visitors may then hop on the Trolley to reach their destination in Forest Park.

Metro is the operator of the St. Louis region’s public transportation system, which includes the 87 vehicle, 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; 399 MetroBus vehicle fleet that operates on 78 MetroBus routes in Missouri and Illinois; and Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 122 vans. Metro is an enterprise of Bi-State Development (BSD), which also owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport and its surrounding industrial business park; the Gateway Arch Riverboats, as well as operates the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center and Gateway Arch trams. BSD also operates the Bi-State Development Research Institute and the Regional Freight District.

About Forest Park Forever

In 1986, Forest Park Forever, a private, not-for-profit organization, was founded to work in partnership with the City of St. Louis and the department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry to restore, maintain and sustain Forest Park as one of America’s great urban public parks for the enjoyment of all – now and forever.